Volunteer Programs
- Sunday worship
- Bible study
- Mentoring
- Tutoring
- Muslim services
- Toastmasters
- New Life Group
- Native American ceremonies
- Screaming Eagles
- Religion library
- Guitar class
- Second Chance at Life
- Monthly Programs
- Dads Coaching Clinic
- Birthday party
- Alternatives to Violence Project
- Exploring Business Ownership
Sunday morning worship includes a sermon, songs, and scripture reading. The service takes place in the chapel and is open to any interested residents.
Sunday evening worship services are led on an alternating basis by the following groups:
- Soldiers of the Cross, a prison ministry from Lakeview Church, Indianapolis
- United Methodist Church, Hendricks County
- Mt. Olive Church, Indianapolis
- New Life Worship Center, Indianapolis
- Higher Ground Pentecostal Church, Indianapolis
Bible studies are led by different Bible studies include: Living Faith Bible Study, Purpose Driven Life, The Gospels, Mt. Olive Bible Study, MOD Bible Study
Mentors serve as role models for residents while functioning as personal resources. Each mentor assists his resident in developing problem-solving skills, pro-social behavior, and appropriate coping skills. Mentors meet one-on-one with their resident on a weekly basis.
Mentors also encourage their residents to participate in the facility's treatment programs and activities, assist in achieving educational/vocational goals, and aid in developing acceptable/legal leisure time activities.
Qualifications are as follows:
- Must be a male 18 years of age or older
- Must be willing to make a personal commitment to be involved with a resident for at least one year
- Demonstrates the ability to listen and tolerates different points of view
- Takes responsibility for his own actions
- Has respect for individuals, their abilities and their right to make their own choices in life
- Is able to build and maintain relationships
- Recognizes and accepts the diversity of others
- Enjoys interacting with an array of personalities without being judgmental
- Seeks out appropriate counsel when necessary
- Has good sense of humor and a lot of patience
- Accepts supervision and direction from correctional staff
- Must attend the PREF orientation training session
While some tutors assist residents with low literacy and help them prepare for the GED, others work with individuals involved in advanced courses who want to improve their skills and knowledge in preparation for entering the job market.
Muslim residents have two services each week. One takes place Friday afternoons, and the other one is held Sunday evenings.
Two Toastmasters volunteers work with residents to improve their communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment.
A typical meeting begins with a business session and transitions to a period in which several residents give short, impromptu speeches on assigned topics. Residents also present speeches based on projects from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program manuals.
The projects focus on speech organization, voice, language, gestures, and persuasion. Residents who deliver a prepared speech receive are critiqued on their presentation's strengths and areas for improvement.
Bible studies include: Living Faith Bible Study, Purpose Driven Life, The Gospels, Mt. Olive Bible Study, MOD Bible Study
An ex-offender and his wife help prepare men for life outside prison.
The couple brings in guest speakers, including other ex-offenders.
Native American ceremonies take place every other week. Activities may include the smudge ceremony, pipe ceremony or purification ceremony. Residents use natural items such as sage, kinnick-kinnick, sassafras, pine and cedar chips during such ceremonies.
Residents learn to operate remote controlled airplanes. Future plans include making model airplanes for use in a competition.
Volunteer Gerald Griffin is in the process of installing a religion library for residents with various faiths. He is currently in the process of retaining books and recruiting volunteer librarians.
Residents learn or advance their skills on the bass guitar, guitar, or keyboard in this one- hour class, which meets three days a week.
Plainfield Re-Entry Educational Facility is one of several prisons in the Indiana Department of Correction to partner with the National Greyhound Foundation in this project. Residents care for and train retired racing greyhounds for adoption. Without the time and sacrifice of the residents, the dogs would have been euthanized.
Dads Coaching Clinic is five-session, non-denominational conference developed by the Assemblies of God USA. The conference, which takes place during the course of two days, is "centered around 16 life-changing tips that are proven to help dads develop their families into winning teams," according to http://honorbound.ag.org/dadsclinic.cfm. Volunteers share coaching tips and principles from sports heroes and coaching legends seen as extraordinary fathers.
Community organizations take turn hosting birthday parties once a month for all residents born during that month. Our Community Advisory Board hosted the first party, contributing refreshments, cake, and pizza. Residents played cards for entertainment.
Alternatives to Violence Project
The Basic AVP Workshop is an intensive, three-day learning experience which teaches interpersonal conflict resolution skills through a series of step-by-step processes. These experiences in small groups and one-to-one interactions build a sense of community and trust through exercises focusing on:
- Affirmation -- Building self esteem and trust.
- Communication -- Improving both listening skills and assertive methods of expression.
- Cooperation -- Developing cooperative attitudes that avoid competitive conflicts.
- Creative Conflict Resolution -- Getting in touch with the inner
Transforming Power to resolve violence. Role plays provide an opportunity to explore this power and learn new and creative ways to respond to real life conflicts in individuals' daily lives.
Information from http://www.avpusa.org/
The Central Indiana Women's Business Center, a program of the Indianapolis Neighborhood Self-Employment Initiative, provides monthly workshops to residents interested in using their skills to launch a small business.
